What Parents Can Do About 3 Major Challenges to Reduce Homework Time and Stress

What Parents Can Do About 3 Major Challenges to Reduce Homework Time and Stress

Students often struggle to pay attention in class and while doing homework. Too often, these students' eyes are not working together, or they have difficulty copying off the board. When doing homework, they become tense and frequently lose it. Parents can help their children by addressing the three major issues. Stay calm when doing homework with your child, and hydrate them before and during homework.

If attention is a significant issue, consider getting an ADHD diagnosis. If vision is a major issue, see an optometrist - even if your child has 20th degree vision issues.

Tips for parents on how to help their children with their homework while remaining calm when they have attention and/or vision issues.

Parents have asked us why their child's homework takes two, three, or even four times as long as their peers' and what they can do about it. This article defines the three major issues and what parents can do to address them. Key issues for students frequently include:

1- Paying attention in class and while doing homework is a major issue.

2- They frequently have one or more vision issues - too often, these students' eyes are not working together; they skip words or lines when reading; or they have difficulty copying off the board.

3- When doing homework, they become tense and frequently lose it.

When a student struggles to pay attention in class, the information must frequently be re-taught at home. What's worse, the students' homework time, which should have taken 45 minutes, is stretched to 1 and 12 hours due to re-teaching, and then to over 2 hours because they can't focus.

Vision problems have an impact on their homework in several ways:

1- They have difficulty correctly copying the notes from the board, and you spend time trying to understand the assignment.

2- They skip words or lines when reading, making life even more difficult.

3- When doing math problems, they frequently do not align their work correctly, miss minus and division signs, and make careless errors.

When students are doing their homework, they frequently become tense, and battles ensue. What frequently occurs is: - Students are too afraid to ask questions in class, and they become stuck - The student or parent becomes enraged, and then...

- An argument begins, which frequently escalates into a battle royale.

What we recommend is that parents: - Remain calm when doing homework with their child - If your child becomes stressed, give them a 1 or 3 minute break - Hydrate them before and during homework - When reading, use an index card or their finger to keep them on the right line

- If attention is a significant issue, consider getting an ADHD diagnosis. - If they have a learning disability or attention issues that significantly impact their academic performance, the student may be eligible for an Individualized Education Plan and homework accommodations, which may include:

Obtaining copies of notes - either from the teacher or from another student o Seating by the teacher to improve attention o Having the teacher check to make sure the student has written the assignment correctly o Having you sign that they completed the assignment and putting it in a place they can find it o An early warning system, in which the teacher alerts you to issues early on - If vision is a major issue, see an optometrist - even if your child has 20